The 2013 MacGill Summer School
LOOKING TO 2016 – HOW STANDS THE REPUBLIC?
For several years now, and especially since the sudden and brutal fall of the Celtic Tiger, the MacGill School has focussed on reform of the institutions of the state – political, social and economic. With webcasting and the sterling work of our colleagues in broadcasting and the press, this message goes far beyond the conference hall. As has been pointed out many times at MacGill, radical reform of our politics and governance in general has to be a priority if we are not to have recurring crises of the kind we are living painfully through at this time and it has to come from the bottom up.
Of course, other European countries are also in deep crisis but we appear to have had nothing but crises since the foundation of the state and have only once been able to offer our citizens the fundamental right of a job in their own country and that was in the first decade of the 21st century. We blew it by having people in authority in various sectors who were, to say the least, negligent and incompetent – and unaccountable.
As the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Rising approaches, what better time is there to look at the republic which came about as a result of that event? Is this the republic that was dreamt of by Pearse, Connolly and the other brave men and women who marched up to the GPO on that fateful Easter morning? Do we even recognise and cherish the republic we live in? Do we act and behave according to republican principles? The greed and avarice and the irresponsible behaviour which we have witnessed in the last decade would indicate that the answer is definitely, no and that respect throughout the population, young and old, for the republic and its institutions is not what it should be.
We have almost three years to prepare ourselves to honour the memory of 1916. We have the horrendously difficult task of rebuilding our economy and all the signs are that we have quite a long way to go before that crucially important objective is achieved. But we must, in parallel, reform our institutions so that we have a republic that is a model of the highest standards of integrity and of competence and one to which we are proud to give our loyalty. ‘Standing by the Republic’ is an expression we need to hear more often.
JM
Official Opening of the 2013 MacGill Summer School
H.E. Mr Niels Pultz, Danish Ambassador to Ireland
The 13th Annual John Hume Lecture
AS A REPUBLIC, WE HAVE THE MORAL OBLIGATION TO DEVELOP FIRST CLASS HUMAN RIGHTS
Emily O’Reilly, former Ombudsman and Information Commissioner, European Ombudsman
THE REPUBLIC — RHETORIC OR REALITY?
THERE IS A CRISIS IN THE IRISH STATE
Prof Dermot Keogh, Emeritus Professor of History, University College Cork
THE HOLLOWNESS OF THE RHETORIC OF IRISH REPUBLICANISM
Dr Diarmaid Ferriter, Professor of Modern History, University College Dublin
WHO OWNS THE REPUBLIC?
Dr Margaret O’Callaghan, School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, Queen’s University, Belfast
THE AMBIGUOUS REPUBLIC – WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
Theo Dorgan, poet, novelist and broadcaster, author of ‘Greek’, Sailing for Home’ and ‘Making Way’
NONE OF THE STATE’S INSTITUTIONAL ARMS IS IN WORKING ORDER
Fintan O’Toole, Assistant Editor, The Irish Times, Author and Columnist
BUILDING A NEW REPUBLIC – LET’S BEGIN NOW
Gerry Adams TD, President of Sinn Féin, Dáil deputy for Louth
“WHAT IF THE DREAM CAME TRUE?” – PEARSE, IDEOLOGY AND THE REPUBLIC
Dr Elaine Sisson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Culture, IADT. Author of ‘Pearse’s Patriots: St Enda’s and the Cult of Boyhood’
TRUST IN A DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC MUST BEGIN WITH POLITICAL LEADERSHIP
Prof Gearoid O Tuathaigh, Emeritus Professor of History, UCG
WHY AND HOW DID WE AND DO WE LET IT HAPPEN?
Maurice Fitpatrick, Lecturer at the University of Cologne, film documentary maker
ELITISM THRIVES IN IRELAND’S ADMINISTRATIVE CRADLES
Justine McCarthy, Writer and Journalist, Sunday Times columnist
GOVERNANCE OF THE REPUBLIC
OUR REPUBLIC NEEDS TO RESTATE ITS VALUES AND ITS GOALS
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin TD, Labour Party deputy for Dublin North-Central
IT IS TIME FOR FUNDAMENTAL POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL REFORM
Catherine Murphy TD, Independent deputy for Kildare North
BRINGING REFORM TO THE BACKROOM OF POLITICS
Eoghan Murphy TD, Fine Gael deputy for Dublin South-East, member of Public Accounts
Committee
MORE WOMEN IN POLITICS MATTERS
Niamh Gallagher, co-founder of Women for Election organisation
THE GAP BETWEEN THE CITIZENS AND THEIR DEMOCRACY CONTINUES TO GROW
Dr Theresa Reidy, Lecturer in Dept of Government, University College Cork
THE CRISIS IN DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY
Michael McDowell SC, Barrister and Columnist, former Attorney-General and Tánaiste
REAL REFORM MUST REDUCE GOVERNMENT CONTROL
Micheál Martin TD, Leader of Fianna Fáil
TIME FOR REVOLUTIONARY AND VISIONARY THINKING
Vincent P Martin, Barrister and co-founder, New Beginning
TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY FAIRLY AND EFFICIENTLY COLLECTING TAXES AND DUTIES AND IMPLEMENTING CUSTOMS CONTROLS
Josephine Feehily, Chairman of the Office of Revenue Commissioners
PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM: THE NEXT BIG ‘ASKS’
Dr Eddie Molloy, Director, Advance organisation, Management Consultant
GOVERNANCE IN DENMARK – HOW WAS IT CONSTRUCTED AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Dr Bo Lidegaard, Editor-in-Chief Politiken, diplomat, historian and writer
PROTECTING THE WEAKEST AND MOST VULNERABLE
GOVERNMENTS MUST MANAGE THEIR AFFAIRS – NOT GET ELECTED ON SPURIOUS PROMISES
Geoff Meagher, National President, Society of St Vincent de Paul
EQUALITY AS RHETORIC: THE CARELESS STATE OF IRELAND
Prof Kathleen Lynch, Equality Studies Centre, UCD School of Social Justice
CREATING A FLOURISHING SOCIETY THAT MEETS PEOPLE’S NEEDS
Ivan Cooper, Director of Advocacy, The Wheel
PRISONS – A LOT DONE, MORE TO DO
Judge Michael Reilly, Inspector of Prisons
ARE WE GOING TO STAND BY THE CHILDREN OF THE REPUBLIC?
Norah Gibbons, Chairwoman of the Child and Family Agency
AWARE: A STORY OF HOPE
Dr Claire Hayes, Clinical Director, AWARE
THE HUMAN HEART AND MIND IS THE REAL STARTING POINT
Mary McEvoy, Actress and broadcaster, author of ‘How The Light Gets In’
WE MUST HAVE THE COURAGE AND VISION TO RADICALLY CHANGE THE REPUBLIC
Colm O’Gorman, Director, Amnesty International
VALUES OF JUSTICE, EQUALITY AND FAIRNESS SIMPLY MEAN A CHANGE OF MIND-SET
Noeline Blackwell, Director-General, FLAC
HEALTH AND EDUCATION
WE CAN HAVE ONE OF THE BEST HEALTH SERVICES IN THE WORLD
Dr James Reilly TD, Minister for Health
FOCUS ON THE QUALITY OF ACADEMICS AND QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE WILL FOLLOW
Prof Brigid Laffan, Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University of Florence(EUI)
THE EXCITING FUTURE OF EDUCATION POSES MAJOR CHALLENGES
Ruairi Quinn TD, Minister for Education and Skills
BEYOND UTILITARIAN UNDERSTANDINGS OF EDUCATION
Brother Martin Browne OSB, Headmaster of Glenstal Abbey School
THE ECONOMY AFTER THE TROIKA
AFTER THE TROIKA VERY TIGHT FISCAL DISCIPLINE WILL BE NECESSARY
Anthony Foley, Dublin City University Business School
TAKING A HARD LOOK AT LONG TERM ECONOMIC POLICY FORMULATION
Michael McGrath TD, Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Finance
MANAGING THE ECONOMY AND PUBLIC FINANCES AFTER THE TROIKA
Peter Breuer, Resident Representative of the IMF in Ireland
IRELAND HAS TURNED A VERY DIFFICULT CORNER
Brian Hayes TD, Minister for State at Dept of Finance
AUSTERITY IS VIOLENCE PERPETRATED AGAINST WORKING PEOPLE
Jack O’Connor, President SIPTU
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONTINUE TO RESTORE ORDER TO THE PUBLIC FINANCES
Dr Alan Ahearne, Lecturer in Economics, UCG, fellow of the Bruegel Institute, Brussels
WE MUST REMAIN COMMITTED TO RETURNING IRELAND TO A SOUND FISCAL FOOTING
John Moran, Secretary-General, Department of Finance
BANKS AND BANKING
THE STATE OF THE BANKING SYSTEM
Dr Donal Donovan, former Deputy Director IMF, co-author of ‘The Fall of the Celtic Tiger’
RESTORING CONFIDENCE IN THE BANKING SYSTEM
Fiona Muldoon, Central Bank of Ireland
WHY WAS THE IRISH CRISIS THE WORST?
Brendan Keenan, former Independent Group Finance Editor, columnist and broadcaster
WE NEED A PROPER BANKING INQUIRY
Richard Curran, columnist and broadcaster, co-author of ‘The Man who Broke Irish Nationwide’
DEVELOPING OUR OWN RESOURCES
IRELAND IS A HIGHLY PROFITABLE LOCATION FOR MULTINATIONALS
George Lee, RTE Economist
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
THE CRISIS OF TRUST IN POLITICS AND LACK OF REFORM
Dr Maureen Gaffney, Adjunct Professor of Psychology and Society, UCD. Writer and broadcaster
FAITH IN THE FUTURE
Gerard O’Neill, Chairman, Amarach Research, author of ‘2016: A New Proclamation for a New Generation’ (2010)